The Epitome of Irony
by Pandastriker
Summary: Sokka is doing some reflecting on his life and life in general. Would you like to listen in?


**Hey Hey Hey! I don't really have anything to say right now so just read and enjoy.**

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Life is inherently ironic, I've come to realize over the past couple of years. The definition of Irony is an outcome of events contrary to what was, or might have been, expected, just so you know. We've all seen plenty of examples of this without even realizing it.

For example, an ambitious overlord who dedicated his entire life for one cause, unification under his rule, but it always seems that they are defeated by their own ambition, whether it's by an uprising by his own people or some outside source. Where does that sound familiar? I'll get to that example soon enough.

Or how about the age old-adage 'He who lives by the sword, dies by the sword.'? Convince me that's not irony. That says the exact same thing. But that could mean many things and can be used in many situations. Anyone can be targeted by that phrase, whether you're a peasant, merchant, warrior, royalty…etc.

Say you're a merchant, but you aren't helpful to your customers, they won't come back to you. Or if you're nice even, they'll walk all over you. But if you use that example, it would seem we are all doomed to a life of misery and failure. You can make arguments for both sides.

Or how about a good-hearted man who simply wants what everyone wants, wealth and happiness? I know what you're thinking, 'you don't need money to be happy', but you're dead wrong and everyone who says that is a liar. Of course there are exceptions to that rule, but not many. You will be so consumed in getting what you want, that you lose sight in why you wanted it in the first place. Yet another example of the irony of life.

Or how about that certain person that uses cheap tricks to get what he wants. We all know a person who utilizes under-handed tricks to get what he wants. A thief, who simply takes your possessions with no intention to give them back, the other person in adultery, who steals your significant other from right under your nose, a liar, who will not divulge the truth and the answers you seek, all examples of these types of people. But it seems more than not, that the person, who uses guile to get what they want, will find their downfall by that same guile. Irony can plague everyone's life.

Or how about every parents favorite lesson to their children 'What goes around, comes around'? That is the purest form of irony I can think of.

But irony can be a very good thing in certain situations and I can give another example that will hit closer to home. My personal friend, Fire Lord Zuko, who spent his life trying to regain some lost honor that he was convinced he had lost. He was so consumed by his rage and disappointment that he also lost sight of what he was fighting for.

Perhaps it is human nature? We may never know the answer to that question. But fortunately for my good friend, he found the error in his way and chose the right path. Now, he is one damn good Fire Lord if you ask me.

How about the greatest love stories of all time? Doesn't it seem they all have the same premise? A girl from a family who is supposed to hate another family because of something that happened hundreds of years ago.

But the boy she ends up falling in love with always seems to hail from that family she is supposed to hate. Blah blah blah they end up together or dead, you know the stories. They might not be exactly like that, but always pretty damn close. Is that not Irony?

Another example of irony is former Fire Lord Ozai. His entire life is the exact definition of irony and you won't find a lot of people who will disagree. He was so bent on his world domination scheme that he forgot about everything else. He banished his own wife, created a monster in his daughter, maimed and banished his only son and heir to the throne. He committed heinous crimes on everyone who crossed him and showed loyalty only to himself.

The man was hell-bent on 'cleansing' the world, whatever the hell he meant by that, that he stepped on anyone and everyone to get what he wanted. He thought he would be happy ruling and persecuting people for his own selfish gain.

But what is happiness really? People have such jaded senses on what being truly happy is that you can never come up with a real rule to it. There is a complete bias on what happiness is that no one can really figure it out. Happiness means different things to different people. Maybe he would be truly happy dominating everyone in the world while he himself was alone in the world? But that's a different discussion for another time.

He seemed invincible and a lot of people thought the same thing. But even he was struck by the cruel hand of irony and all it took was a team of dedicated _children_ to do it, his son and the Avatar being the front runners.

His downfall was ironic on many levels, one being that his own son played a crucial role. Second, that he was defeated on the day he was supposed to be the strongest. Third, that he was stripped of his very power that he valued so highly. I can sit here all day and list everything that was ironic in his life.

The absolute best example of irony being universal and synonymous in life in general is a saying I've heard for many years. "Why are we dying to live, when we are living to die?"

Everyone has been in at least one ironic situation in their life and no one is an exception. I'm one of those people, who irony is very prevalent in their life. The place I'm at in my life right now is something that you could say comes out of left field. When I was back traveling with Aang and the others, I would _never_ have even dreamed I would be here right now. And I was supposed to be the smart one.

The characteristic of irony is prevalent in my life for only one reason, but it bleeds over into all aspects of my life. Not a day goes by that I don't think how far I've come and I smile when I think about it. That something that makes my life so ironic isn't actually _something_, rather _someone_.

That someone is my wife, the woman who I picked to live the rest of my days with. She is the center of my life, the mother of my children, my best friend, and my greatest ally. The former Fire Nation Princess now turned chieftain's wife, Azula.

I look over to my said wife, to see her sleeping peacefully next to me amidst the furs and pillows of our bed. Long gone are the silken sheets and servants she grew up with, now she is a simple peasant (technically).

That's another example of irony because she called me a peasant more times than I can count. Just wanted to throw that one in.

I ask her numerous times if she's happy here with me and she always gives me the same answer. "Yes, now quit asking me or you're sleeping outside tonight." Can you really blame me for asking though? Zuko had pardoned all of her war crimes after the war and after she was successfully rehabilitated. So if she wanted to, she could have lived in the palace she grew up in and continue her old life.

But no, she decided to come back with me to the Southern Water Tribes and start her life anew with me. Again it comes back to the happiness thing, is she truly happy being away from her homeland, in a place so opposite from what she was? Every time I think about it from her perspective, I can't help but wonder if this is what she truly wants.

Think about it, she was used to getting everything she wanted right away and having servants on call twenty four seven. Here, she has to do everything herself with little to no help. There the weather is perfect for a fire bender, here that is definitely not the case. There she was a princess with massive influence, here she is but a simple housewife. Everything is completely opposite from what she grew up with.

You hear that? Irony strikes again.

I've brought those points up to her before, probably more than once if I think about it. When I did bring it up, she was so mad that I had doubted her that she popped me in the jaw hard. I nearly fell in the ocean, but she grabbed me by my shirt and yelled in my face about a multitude of things.

It was something about "Why would I marry you? Why would I have your kids? Why haven't I killed you yet for actually thinking that?" but I can't be sure, I was still woozy from the punch to my jaw. Then she pushed me backwards and I did fall in the ocean. God I love that woman.

But anyway, I've learned from my mistakes and I don't mention it very often anymore. But there's that whole irony thing again, rearing its head. If you compare today Azula and Azula of the past, they are opposite.

Of course she kept her personality and I wouldn't have her any other way, but other aspects of her life are very different. She's calmer now, but only to the kids and that comes with being a mother. To me she's the same Azula she was when I was helping her through her rehabilitation. To make a long story short, she's grown up.

Look at it this way, when we were younger she was Ozai's perfect little soldier. She was an evil, maniacal, sociopathic, psychotic princess who took pleasure in seeing people suffer (a lot like her father), but now look at her. That's the biggest turnaround I think I've ever seen; it beats Zuko's by miles.

I like to think I had a big hand in her rehabilitation, and everyone you ask would say I did. She didn't want to come out of her shell and would threaten anyone that would try to help her. So my friends said they all had the same idea, get Sokka to help her. I guess they figured my charm would help her with her fear of people in general and of course I was reluctant. Help the girl who on a regular basis threatened my very existence? You must be out of your mind. But I decided to do it when Zuko nearly begged me on his hands and knees.

It turned out to be the greatest thing that ever happened to me, it was worth all the burns and scars to see her smile at me. But it wasn't without difficult times, not by a long shot. The tears she shed still burn in my mind and haunt me in my dreams. But it all goes away when I realize that she is just fine and still laying next to me when I awake every morning.

Hey look, some more irony in my life.

But all of that is in the past now, and I try to look at the present as much as I can. It is hard not to think back and just figure out how the hell I got to where I am now. Azula keeps me in the present though, she never lets me fail if she can help it. Her assistance has been invaluable since I attained the position of Chief of the Southern Water Tribes. That part isn't ironic though, I figured I would assume that position when the war was over and my father was getting fairly old.

She has helped me in many issues I've had while leading my people, whether they were diplomatic or domestic. She had a lot of experience in that field, so I accept her help graciously. We help each other constantly and of course that's ironic if you look at our past. I helped her back onto her feet and she helped me not to completely screw up my people as Chief.

Another thing ironic in my life is that both my children are fire benders. Yep, the Chief of the Southern Water Tribes has a fire bending princess for a wife and two fire bending children. That's sounds normal doesn't it? I love my children dearly, but it is weird having to punish them because they burned the furniture in the polar region.

Are you starting to see why I've come to the conclusion that irony is inherent in life? If I think about it, I guess you can say my story is a lot like those epic love stories I mentioned earlier, but I think were a lot realer. But hey, were not dead so that's a plus. Ah, gotta love that irony.

So now I'm lying in my bed with my wife next to me, trying to sleep. In a few hours I have to wake up and begin my new day filled with who knows what. I put my hands behind my head and lean my head back. I'm not going to get back to sleep again, so I'm just going to enjoy the peace and quiet until one of my kids comes in and bothers me about something.

I was brought out of my thoughts by my wife burrowing her head in my side "Go to sleep you dolt or you're going to be tired all day." She said to me.

"You're awake?" I asked.

"No, I'm just sleep talking." She said sarcastically and I laughed "Why are you awake? You have to get up in a few hours." She asked.

I wrapped my arm around her shoulders and pulled her closer to me "Reflecting." I said simply. She laid her head on my chest and scoffed.

"Can't you do that later, you need the sleep. Remember the last time you didn't get enough sleep?" she asked and I did indeed remember.

"Hey, that penguin got what he deserved." I said defensively and she groaned.

"Did you have to follow it into the water?" she asked exasperated.

"He was taunting me!"

She groaned again "Sure he was. Do you know how long it took me to explain to Haku why his father was chasing a defenseless penguin?"

"Okay, whatever. Let's get off that subject." I said and she sighed.

"You know you need the sleep." She stated and I sighed.

"I know I do, but I can't sleep. I'm already awake." I informed her.

"What were you 'reflecting' about anyway?" she asked.

"The usual." I stated simply and she rolled her eyes.

"I swear if you ask me that again, I will castrate you and don't think I won't." she told me sternly and I chuckled.

"I think I learned my lesson about that one and plus, I know how you feel. I don't doubt your intentions and I never did, I just want you to be happy." I said and she looked up at me. I was wondering if she was going to say something romantic and sappy, but this is my Azula.

"Don't be an idiot Sokka." And I'd have her no other way. "Besides, who really knows what happiness is?"

I laughed, thinking back to my previous thoughts "I know exactly what you're talking about." I commented with a grin.

"Quit grinning like an idiot and get to sleep. I am not dragging your lazy ass out of bed in the morning." She said. She closed her eyes and laid her head back on my chest.

I chuckled and rubbed small circles on her back absently, trying to lull my wife back to sleep. I may not be able to sleep, but she should get some rest. She works harder than me during the day, taking care of the children, cleaning the house, helping me with random stuff I need to do, etc.

"Sokka?" Azula said suddenly and opened her eyes to look up at me.

"Hm?"

"You know I love you right?" she asked. I gave her a weird look at her sudden question.

"Of course I know, what brought that on?" I asked back to her.

"I don't know, I just wanted you to know. I don't say it as often as I should." She answered and I gave her a small smile. I used my other arm to pull her closer to my face and I looked onto her golden eyes. I tucked a stray hair behind her ear.

"You don't need to say it if you show it every day, which you do." I told her. "You show that you love me and I think that's much better than you simply telling me." I kissed her lips lightly and tucked her head under my chin. I heard her contented sigh and she nuzzled closer into my neck. I wrapped my arms around her and closed my eyes.

Irony is a funny thing and I can vouch for that any day. As I mentioned before, there are two types of inherent irony, good and bad, depending on your perspective.

Fire lord Zuko? Good Irony.

Former Fire Lord Ozai? Bad irony (can be good irony based on your perspective).

My wife Azula? Good irony.

Chief Sokka? I like to think good irony.

But all in all everyone has their separate destiny, but some just take different routes to get to it. You can take Aang for a prime example of that. As the Avatar, his destiny was to defeat the fire nation and restore the balance to the world and all it took was a hundred years to do it, but it got done nonetheless.

What is my destiny? Well, it's being the best father and husband I can be. It's being a capable chief and leading my people to prosperity. It's making my sister, father, and mother all proud of me with what I accomplished. It's forging ahead when I fall on rough times, and knowing who I can lean on for support. It's loving every moment of my life with the people who love me the most. It's being the best person I can possibly be, but who am I really?

I am the epitome of irony

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**Hope you enjoyed that. It was an idea floating around in my head and I decided to put it on paper…er, on computer, but that's not the point.**

**R&R please!**


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